It is 7 plus 1. Hence it is the number specially associated with Resurrection and Regeneration, and the beginning of a new era or order.

When the whole earth was covered with the flood, it was Noah "the eighth person" (2 Peter 2:5) who stepped out on to a new earth to commence a new order of things. "Eight souls" (1 Peter 3:20) passed through it with him to the new or regenerated world.

Hence, too, circumcision was to be performed on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12), because it was the foreshadowing of the true circumcision of the heart, that which was to be "made without hands," even "the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11). This is connected with the new creation.

The first-born was to be given to Jehovah on the eighth day (Exodus 22:29,30).

Resurrection

But Resurrection is the great truth which is signified. Christ rose from the dead on "the first day of the week," that was of necessity the eighth day. And it is remarkable that the Bible contains the record of eight individual resurrections.

Eight individual Resurrections

3 in the Old Testament
3 in the Gospels
2 in Acts 9 and 20

The three in the Old Testament correspond to the three raised by our Lord.

1. The son of a widow—
   Zarepta (1 Kings 17:17-25) and
   Nain (Luke 7:11-18).

2. The child of a rich person—
   Son of the woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4:32-37),
   The daughter of Jarius (Mark 5:35; Luke 8:49).

3. A full grown man...after burial—
   In Elisha's tomb (2 Kings 13:20,21),
   Lazarus (John 11).

The Feast of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles lasted eight days, with a special reference to the Incarnation (John 1:14).

The Transfiguration

The transfiguration also took place on the eighth day (inclusive reckoning) after the first announcement of Christ's "sufferings," and it was the showing forth of the "glory" which should follow at His coming again.

The First Cube

Eight is the first cubic number, the cube of two, 2 x 2 x 2. We have seen that three is the symbol of the first plane figure, and that four is the first square. So here, in the first cube, we see something of transcendent perfection indicated, something, the length and breadth and height of which are equal. This significance of the cube is seen in the fact that the "Holy of Holies," both in the Tabernacle and in the Temple, were cubes. In the Tabernacle it was a cube of 10 cubits. In the Temple it was a cube of 20 cubits. In Revelation 20 the New Jerusalem is to be a cube of 12,000 furlongs. Dr. Milo Mahan is inclined to believe that the Ark of Noah, too, had a kind of sacred Shechinah in "the window finished in a cubit above"—a cube of one. If so, we have the series of cubes:—

* This 1728, too, is a remarkable number, viz., 8² x 3³.

Eight Songs in the Old Testament

Eight songs in the Old Testament outside the Psalms:

1. Redemption, Exodus 15.
2. Supply and maintenance, Numbers 21:17.
3. Moses witnessing to the grace of God and the unfaithfulness of man, Deuteronomy 32.
4. Victory over oppression, Judges 5.
5. David, God's elect, delivered from all his foes, 2 Samuel 22.
6. The Song of Songs.
7. The song of the well-beloved touching Israel, God's vineyard, Isaiah 5.
8. This (the eighth) waits to be sung on resurrection ground (Isaiah 26), for it does not come till after "death is swallowed up in victory," 25:8.

The Miracles of Elijah

The miracles of Elijah were eight in number, marking the Divine character of his mission:

1. The shutting up of heaven, 1 Kings 17:1; James 5:17; Luke 4:25.
2. Multiplying the widow's meal, 2 Kings 17:14-16.
3. Raising the widow's son, verses 17-23.
4. Causing fire to come down from heaven, 1 Kings 18:37, 38.
5. Causing rain to come down from heaven, verses 41-45.
6. Causing fire to come down from heaven, 2 Kings 1:10.
7. The same, verse 12.
8. Dividing the Jordan, 2 Kings 2:8.

The Miracles of Elisha

The miracles of Elisha were double in number, viz. Sixteen, for his request was, "Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me," 2 Kings 2:9:

1. Dividing the Jordan, 2 Kings 2:14.
2. Healing the waters, verse 21.
3. Cursing the young men,* verse 24.
4. Procuring water for the three kings, 2 Kings 3:16-20.
5. Multiplying the widow's oil, 2 Kings 4:1-7.
6. Raising the widow's son, 4:37.
7. Healing the deadly pottage, verse 38.
8. Feeding the Hundred men, verses 42-44.
9. The healing of Naaman, 2 Kings 5:1-19.
10. The smiting of Gehazi, verses 20-27.
11. Causing the iron to swim, 2 Kings 6:1-7.
12. Opening the eyes of his servant, verse 17.
13. Smiting the Syrian army with blindness, verse 18.
14. Restoring their sight, verse 20.
15. Arresting the king's messenger, verses 30-33.
16. A dead man raised by touching his bones, 2 Kings 13:20, 21.

* The word is used of Isaac, aged 28; Joseph when 39; Rehoboam when 40; Shadrach and his companions in Babylon.

The use and significance of the number eight in Scripture is seen to recur in marvelous exactitude. It may indeed be said that

Eight is the Dominical Number

Eight is the dominical number for everywhere it has to do with the LORD. It is the number of His name, IHSOUS, Jesus:—

It is the number stamped upon the Old Testament, the numbers of its books in all the MSS being 24 (3x8).

In the book which relates to His great Apocalypse or Revelation, there are in the introduction which sets forth the glory of the Lord, to be revealed in the day of the Lord, eight references to the Old Testament on which the claims of His Lordship are based.

The Eight References to the Old Testament in Revelation 1

It will be noted, moreover, that these are not given at haphazard. Our attention is called to their importance by the order in which they are given. They are arranged in the form of an epanodos, the first being from the same book as the eighth, the second corresponding in the same way to the seventh, the third to the sixth, and the fourth to the fifth. Thus the Divine seal of superabundant perfection is there set on the Scriptures which declare the Lordship of Jesus:

A. Revelation 1:5, Isaiah 55:4.

B. Revelation 1:7, Daniel 7:13.

C.Revelation1:7, Zechariah 12:10.

D. Revelation 1:8, Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12.

D. Revelation 1:11, Isaiah 41:4, 44:6; 48:12.

C. Revelation 1:12, Zechariah 4:2.

B. Revelation 1:13-15, Daniel 7:9, 13, 22, 10:5, 6.

A. Revelation 1:16, Isaiah 49:2.

Other Dominical Names of Jesus

Other dominical names of Jesus are also marked by gematria and stamped with the number eight as a factor:

• CristoV, Christ, 1480 (8x185).
• KurioV, Lord, 800 (8x100).
• KurioV hmwn, Our Lord, 1768 (8x221).
• Swthr, Saviour, 1408 (8²x 32).
• 'Emmanouhl, Emmanuel, 25600, (8³x50).
• Messias, Messiah, 656 (8x82).
• UioV, Son, 880 (8x110).

We ought also to note that the other factors, beside the prevailing eight, are full of significance.

All this speaks to us, if we have "ears to hear," that "God hath glorified His Son Jesus" (Acts 3:13), and "hath made that same Jesus...both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).